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Don't Know Why

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For other uses, see Don't Know Why (disambiguation).
"Don't Know Why"
Single by Norah Jones
from the album Come Away with Me
ReleasedJuly 2002
Recorded
Genre
Length3:09
LabelBlue Note
Songwriter(s)Jesse Harris
Producer(s)
Norah Jones singles chronology
"Don't Know Why"
(2002) 		"Feelin' the Same Way"
(2003)
Come Away with Me
(2003)
Don't Know Why" / "I'll Be Your Baby Tonight
(2003)
Turn Me On
(2004)
Alternative cover
Cover art for "Don't Know Why" / "I'll Be Your Baby Tonight"
"Don't Know Why"
Norah Jones's "Don't Know Why" from First Sessions and Come Away with Me
Problems playing this file? See media help.

"Don't Know Why" is a song written and composed by Jesse Harris that originally appeared on his 1999 album, Jesse Harris & the Ferdinandos. A cover of it was the first single by American singer Norah Jones from her debut studio album, Come Away with Me (2002).

Jones's version peaked at number 30 on the US Billboard Hot 100 and was a critical success, helping establish her as a respected new artist, and subsequently her album sold extremely well. The single went on to win three Grammy Awards in 2003 for Record of the Year, Song of the Year, and Best Female Pop Vocal Performance. It remains Jones's biggest hit single in the United States to date, and her only one to reach the top 40 of the Billboard Hot 100. The single was also a modest hit internationally, reaching number four in Poland, number five in Australia, number 24 in New Zealand and number 59 in the United Kingdom. The song charted at 459 in Blender magazine's 500 Greatest Songs Since You Were Born.[2]

Music video

A music video directed by Anastasia Simone and Ian Spencer was released in 2002. It features Jones performing the song on a gray beach at sunrise, on a rocky hill, and at a beach rental stand accompanied by a wooden piano while undersea images are projected onto the walls.

Charts

Weekly charts

Chart (2002–2003) Peak
position
Australia (ARIA)[3] 5
Austria (Ö3 Austria Top 40)[4] 56
Brazil (ABPD)[5] 28
France (SNEP)[6] 74
Invalid chart entered Germany2 82
Netherlands (Single Top 100)[7] 86
New Zealand (Recorded Music NZ)[8] 24
Poland (LP3)[9] 4
Scotland (OCC)[10] 71
Scotland (OCC)[11]
with "I'll Be Your Baby Tonight" 		78
UK Singles (OCC)[12] 59
UK Singles (OCC)[13]
with "I'll Be Your Baby Tonight" 		63
US Billboard Hot 100[14] 30
US Adult Contemporary (Billboard)[15] 4
US Adult Pop Airplay (Billboard)[16] 8
US Pop Airplay (Billboard)[17] 32

Year-end charts

Chart (2003) Position
Australia (ARIA)[18] 77
US Billboard Hot 100[19] 97

Certifications

Region Certification Certified units/sales
Australia (ARIA)[20] Gold 35,000^
Italy (FIMI)[21] Gold 25,000‡
United Kingdom (BPI)[22] Silver 200,000‡

^ Shipments figures based on certification alone.
‡ Sales+streaming figures based on certification alone.

Other appearances

  • WYEP Live and Direct: Volume 4 – On Air Performances (2002)

Parodies

  • The children's television show Sesame Street parodied the song with Jones playing the song at a piano about the letter Y being missing and Elmo appears later with her, joining in singing the song.
  • The sketch comedy show MADtv parodied the song in a commercial for the fictitious album Monotonous. The joke of the sketch is that the song sets the mood for wild parties despite its slow pace.

Covers

  • David Benoit
  • Kenny G.
  • George Benson
  • Pat Metheny

References

  1. ^ Come Away with Me liner notes. Blue Note (2002)
  2. ^ "The 500 Greatest Songs Since You Were Born: 51-100 Article on Blender :: The Ultimate Guide to Music and More". Web.archive.org. 2009-03-06. Archived from the original on 2009-03-06. Retrieved 2016-07-27. {{cite web}}: Unknown parameter |deadurl= ignored (|url-status= suggested) (help)
  3. ^ "Norah Jones – Don't Know Why". ARIA Top 50 Singles.
  4. ^ "Norah Jones – Don't Know Why" (in German). Ö3 Austria Top 40.
  5. ^ "Brazil" (PDF). ABPD. October 6, 2001. Retrieved April 1, 2014.
  6. ^ "Norah Jones – Don't Know Why" (in French). Les classement single.
  7. ^ "Norah Jones – Don't Know Why" (in Dutch). Single Top 100.
  8. ^ "Norah Jones – Don't Know Why". Top 40 Singles.
  9. ^ "Notowanie nr1103" (in Polish). LP3. March 21, 2003. Retrieved February 22, 2019. {{cite magazine}}: Cite magazine requires |magazine= (help)
  10. ^ "Official Scottish Singles Sales Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved February 22, 2019.
  11. ^ "Official Scottish Singles Sales Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved February 22, 2019.
  12. ^ "Official Singles Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved February 22, 2019.
  13. ^ "Official Singles Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved February 22, 2019.
  14. ^ "Norah Jones Chart History (Hot 100)". Billboard.
  15. ^ "Norah Jones Chart History (Adult Contemporary)". Billboard.
  16. ^ "Norah Jones Chart History (Adult Pop Songs)". Billboard.
  17. ^ "Norah Jones Chart History (Pop Songs)". Billboard.
  18. ^ "ARIA Charts - End Of Year Charts - Top 100 Singles 2003". ARIA. Retrieved February 22, 2019.
  19. ^ "2003 Year End Charts". Billboard.biz. Retrieved 2012-11-22.
  20. ^ "ARIA Charts – Accreditations – 2003 Singles" (PDF). Australian Recording Industry Association. Retrieved February 22, 2019.
  21. ^ "Italian single certifications – Norah Jones – Don't Know Why" (in Italian). Federazione Industria Musicale Italiana. Retrieved February 22, 2019. Select "2016" in the "Anno" drop-down menu. Type "Don't Know Why" in the "Filtra" field. Select "Singoli" under "Sezione".
  22. ^ "British single certifications – Norah Jones – Don't Know Why/I'll Be Your Baby Tonight". British Phonographic Industry. Retrieved February 22, 2019. Select singles in the Format field. Select Silver in the Certification field. Type Don't Know Why/I'll Be Your Baby Tonight in the "Search BPI Awards" field and then press Enter.
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